AJ Smith-Shawver DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Atlanta Braves right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) has been diagnosed with a torn UCL in his right elbow and will likely need Tommy John surgery, according to manager Brian Snitker. Smith-Shawver will undergo further evaluation, but the surgical procedure hasn't been decided upon yet. Right-hander Bryce Elder will make the start for the Braves on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox. This was the expectation after the 22-year-old heard a pop in his elbow and was pulled after 2 2/3 innings in Game 1 of a doubleheader on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies. It's a tough break for a Braves team that has had it's fair share of injuries the last couple seasons. Smith-Shawver will miss the rest of 2025 and most likely at least half of the 2026 campaign if he undergoes elbow reconstruction, as expected. He finishes his season with a 3.86 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with 42 K's and 21 walks in 44 1/3 innings over nine starts.

The Atlanta Braves announced on Friday that they placed right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) on the 60-day injured list. Smith-Shawver suffered a strained elbow in his start in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday and was immediately placed on the 15-day IL. Manager Brian Snitker said Smith-Shawver's injury didn't look good, and the move to put him on the 60-day IL a day later speaks to the seriousness of the 22-year-old's injury. MLB.com's Mark Bowman reported on Thursday that Smith-Shawver felt a pop in his elbow during his outing and is likely to miss the rest of the 2025 season. The Braves have yet to confirm the nature of Smith-Shawver's injury, but it could only be a matter of time before he's officially declared out for the season. At the very least, he'll miss the next two months.

Atlanta Braves right-handed pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) likely suffered a season-ending injury on Thursday, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. The young hurler "heard his right elbow pop just moments after getting hit on the right heel by Bryson Stott's line-drive comebacker," according to Bowman. Manager Brian Snitker was pessimistic about Smith-Shawver's status postgame, pointing out that "it doesn't look good." Atlanta has already placed him on the 15-day injured list, but he'll presumably miss the full season if testing confirms the severity of his injury. It would be a crushing end to a promising rookie campaign from the 22-year-old. The NL Rookie of the Year candidate owned a 3.55 FIP with 8.86 K/9 and 4.32 BB/9 through 41.2 innings (eight starts) this year.